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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25393483">can a wilted flower grow again?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbatoslatte/pseuds/barbatoslatte'>barbatoslatte</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Samurai Warriors (Video Games), Shin Sangokumusou | Dynasty Warriors, Warriors Orochi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Drabble Collection, F/F, F/M, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, One Shot Collection, i write so many dumb things it kills me, that good lowercase shit™</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:41:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,450</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25393483</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbatoslatte/pseuds/barbatoslatte</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>koei oneshots and drabbles, mostly samurai warriors but a few dynasty warriors ones if i feel up to writing them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Date Masamune &amp; Xiaoqiao, Ishida Mitsunari/Ootani Yoshitsugu, Ishida Mitsunari/Shima Sakon, Kaihime/Lady Hayakawa, Kuroda Kanbei/Takenaka Hanbei, Mori Ranmaru/Oda Nobunaga, Mouri Motonari &amp; Kobayakawa Takakage, Ootani Yoshitsugu/Toudou Takatora</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. kanbei/hanbei - eternal slumber</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>just for me to practice my writing lol, i dunno how good these actually are.<br/>i will write lowercase a l o t bc i'm lazy</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>"kanbei, you don't have to worry about me. i'm just going to sleep, and you know i will wake up, i always do."</i>
</p><p>it is easier said than done to not worry. when one witnesses hanbei's painful coughs and wheezes, and notices the bags under his tired eyes, and the smile that is a shadow of what it should be, they will worry. </p><p>kanbei is not one to worry. or, worry outwardly at least. he is often worried for hanbei's poor health, and frequently asks if he is well. hanbei always responds "yes kanbei, i'm fine," but they both know it is a poorly disguised lie. hanbei's words do not reflect his appearance, yet he still insists kanbei should not worry. </p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>"fussing over me, kanbei? you're like an overprotective mother. i could swear you're turning into lady nene more and more by the day, heh."</i>
</p><p>hanbei's laughs turn into horrid coughs more often than not these days. it is probably painful for him and definitely painful to hear.</p><p>
  <i>"hanbei, you know perfectly well you are not well. i have reason."</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"perhaps you do, but you shouldn't spend your time worrying over me. you have more time. i don't."</i>
</p><p>kanbei wonders if hanbei is trying to act like he used to, when his health, although not amazing, was still better. when hanbei could smile and have it reach his eyes, and look livelier, more childlike. even if he still looks young now, it's as if an elderly man's spirit has entered his body.</p><p>kanbei knows that hanbei will pass soon, and he can only hope it is painlessly in his sleep.</p><p>but why then, at hanbei's funeral, does kanbei utter the words, so quietly?</p><p>
  <i>"you promised to wake up. you always do."</i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>idk either mate</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. motonari and takakage - autumn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>they are the best father-son duo i love them both so much goddammit </p><p>yes this is based off of <a href="https://i.postimg.cc/V6Q69M4D/2-EB33391-5271-4944-AC6-E-BF76-DED66-B66.jpg">motonari's</a> official artwork</p><p>written at 1 am bc inspiration loves to strike at night</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>takakage has always loved autumn.</p><p>he loves the pretty colors on the leaves, especially the warm shades of orange. </p><p>he loves the feeling of the cool wind on his face as it makes the pages of his book flutter. </p><p>most of all, he loves the fact that it seems to relax his father. </p><p>motonari always seems to be working on something. he always jokes that the stress makes his hair grayer by the day. takakage has noticed that these are only half-jokes, for his father's smile seems tired more often than not. </p><p>as a leaf blows by takakage, he manages to catch it, and he twirls it between his fingers. this leaf is a faded red, with little veins stretching up, up, up to the leaf's sharp tips.</p><p>"you always did love the autumn leaves," says his father's voice from behind him. "when you were young, it was adorable how fascinated you were with them." </p><p>"was it?" takakage asks, turning and stepping closer to his father. </p><p>"yes. i can remember clearly, on one specific day. you might have only been three or four years old..."</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p> 🍁🍁🍁 </p>
</div><i>"dada, weaves."</i><p>
  <i>"yes, takakage, i see the leaves," motonari says, not looking up from his book.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"dada. dada. weaves."</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"i know."</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"DADA!"</i>
</p><p>
  <i>motonari finally looks up at takakage's exclamation and finds that his son is staring at the large tree near the study. his toes never cross over the doorway, but he leans over as far as he can, stabilizing himself with the sliding door. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>"would you like to see the leaves for a moment, takakage?" motonari asks, and his son nods. he picks takakage up and walks over to the tree, the warmly colored leaves fluttering in the slight breeze. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>"touch," takakage demands, and motonari gives him a look. "pwease," he adds. "i want."</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"well, you did say please." motonari finds the lowest hanging branch, and lifts takakage up so he can touch the leaves with his small hands. takakage laughs and bats at the leaves. he seems to like the sound of them brushing against each other.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>after a few minutes, motonari lowers takakage back to the "carrying" height. takakage pouts. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>"my arms are tired, takakage. you are getting older, and it is not as easy to hold you up anymore. it is lucky you are still light, but soon you will have to reach the leaves on your own." </i>
</p><p>
  <i>"but dada, how will i touch the weaves then?"</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"you are growing so fast already, soon you will be as tall as me. maybe even by tomorrow you will be tall enough," motonari teases. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>takakage laughs. "i will be tall wike you, dada!"</i>
</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p> 🍁🍁🍁 </p>
</div>"i am still shorter than you," takakage says after his father finishes the story. "younger me would probably pout and whine about this."<p>"indeed. perhaps even present you would pout, just as you used to."</p><p>takakage attempts it, and motonari chuckles lightly, ruffling his hair. </p><p>"it is still just as adorable as it was back then," he says, smiling warmly.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <strike>this tag needs more content where is it ao3</strike>
</p><p> </p><p>writing toddler talk physically hurts me but we must do it for baby takakage</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. lady hayakawa/kaihime - promises</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>can we say some niche shit where these two lesbians die in battle together holding hands</p><p> </p><p>2 am inspo strikes again</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>when they were young, they made a promise.</p><p>playing in the rice fields when they should have been back at the castle, they intertwined pinkies and said, "we will be together, in life and in death."</p><p>they vowed to keep this promise. they did not think it would be so soon.</p><p>hayakawa was the first one to fall to defeat at the hands of a soldier. he did not know the promise that was made or the lady's story. all he knew was that she must die. </p><p>kai's unholy shriek rang throughout the battlefield, startling everyone. she hurried towards her lover, her thoughts racing with <i>no, no, no!</i></p><p>the gods did not smile upon her that day. the gods did not smile at all, if there were any. </p><p>the sword, the blessing and the curse, impaled kai through the stomach. blood drops stained the earth like rose petals, but whose blood hadn't?  </p><p>hayakawa reached for kai as she collapsed to the ground, not caring if she touched blood or dirt or sweat or fabric or skin.</p><p>"kai..." she murmured, their hands meeting. "kai..."</p><p>"my lady?" </p><p>"i'm afraid," she said, a tear staining her dirtied cheek. "i'm afraid to die." </p><p>"don't be, my lady." kai inhaled and forced a small smile on her face as she clutched hayakawa's hand tightly. "i will be right here."  </p><p>that day, the battlefield was stained with blood. </p><p>the blood of nameless soldiers, fathers and sons and brothers who will never come home. </p><p>the blood of the officers, fallen in battle, their legacy to be determined by history. </p><p>and the blood of two lovers, who made a promise to be together in life and in death.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i dont know how to feel</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. mitsunari/yoshitsugu - braids</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>haha it is not 2 am inspo<br/>but 10 pm inspo<br/>i am responsible </p>
<p>yes i ship takatora/yoshitsugu more but also,,, t h i s</p>
<p>also ive been watching the sw anime on crunchyroll and my heart broke after seeing these two die :(((</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"mitsunari, i regret to inform you your hair is too short for a braid like mine."</p>
<p>yoshitsugu had his hair braided into a long plait that was tied off with a royal blue ribbon that day, and mitsunari had looked at it with more fascination than anyone else. </p>
<p>"you can't be serious," mitsunari said. "my hair is near my shoulders now, it's longer than it's ever been since i can remember."</p>
<p>"your hair grows quite slowly, then. wasn't it long when you were a child?" </p>
<p>"no, i couldn't have it very long at the buddhist temple with the monks. but i've been growing it out for a while now."</p>
<p>"even so." yoshitsugu eyed the dark auburn strands with a look of doubt. "it should be longer by now. however, i cannot braid your hair into one. it would have to be two, or none at all."</p>
<p>mitsunari glared. he tugged on a strand of hair as if hoping it would grow faster.</p>
<p>"you are so discontent with your short hair, yet it is longer than most others," yoshitsugu commented. "it is much longer than takatora, or masanori, or kiyomasa. it is even longer than lady nene's hair."</p>
<p>"i wasn't discontent with it before! it just gets in the way sometimes and a braid would really help!"</p>
<p>"maybe a ponytail would suffice."</p>
<p>this answer was met with a stony silence. yoshitsugu sighed.</p>
<p>"perhaps i could braid a small braid into your hair. an accent braid, if you will." </p>
<p>mitsunari seemed to think over this for a bit before nodding. he let yoshitsugu move to his side and start sectioning a small strand of hair into three. </p>
<p>"how long will this take?"</p>
<p>"so impatient," yoshitsugu teased, and he made a point to move extra slowly to irritate mitsunari. "less time than it took to braid my own hair, i'm sure."</p>
<p>he finished tying the small braid with a red ribbon and found a mirror for mitsunari so he could see the final product easily. in yoshitsugu's opinion, mitsunari's way of twirling the braid around his finger was really quite cute. </p>
<p>"it's alright," mitsunari said in an attempt to sound nonchalant, even though he seemed unusually invested in the tiny braid.</p>
<p>"only alright, hm? shall i take it out and redo it?"</p>
<p>"no, no! this is fine." </p>
<p>yoshitsugu smiled. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>wrote this to comfort myself and it worked :D hooray for fanfics</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. mitsunari, masanori, kiyomasa, and nene - crybaby</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>them but as little children. kinda modern au ish if you wanna see it that way<br/>kinda ooc but they're kids and kids change i have an excuse</p><p>also nene and hideyoshi are their parental figures because yes</p><p>mitsunari's childhood name is sakichi, masanori's is ichimatsu, kiyomasa's is yashamaru, and yoshitsugu's is keimatsu. i can't find takatora's :(</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>if there was one thing masanori and kiyomasa could both agree on, it was one thing: that mitsunari was an easy crier.</p><p>it was almost like a daily event: they dragged mitsunari into some game they played and suddenly there was a fight or someone got injured (not even mitsunari himself sometimes), and mitsunari would get very upset. </p><p>"what happened this time?" nene would ask as she held mitsunari close to her, rubbing his back, and kiyomasa would have to explain. </p><p>mitsunari seemed embarrassed that he was known as "the crybaby" but every time he got worked up about it, it usually ended in tears. it was just how it was. </p><p>"mom, i don't wanna be a crybaby anymore," he said to nene one day as she tended to his scraped knee.</p><p>"i know, sakichi," nene replied, ruffling his hair and smiling a little. "it's just part of your personality. if you are really worried about it, then know that you might grow out of it as you are older. but it is nothing to be ashamed of."</p><p>"but isn't it? ichimatsu always says 'sakichi's crying again!' and he says it really mean."</p><p>nene frowned. "no, no, no. that is wrong. crying is a healthy thing. it is a way for you to let out all your emotions. you are just an emotional boy, and you feel very strongly about things. i'm sure ichimatsu doesn't mean to say it in a hurtful way."</p><p>"but what about the other kids?" mitsunari asked.</p><p>"what other kids?"</p><p>"the other kids that play with us sometimes. they climb over the garden rock ledge. last week i told them not to because they were ruining dad's flowers but they laughed at me and called me a crybaby because i started crying about it and--"</p><p>"last week? yashamaru said that it was because he called you a mean name! and i didn't see any other kids in the yard."</p><p>"he lied, and they hid, they didn't wanna get in trouble. look outside." </p><p>nene moved away from mitsunari and looked out the window into the backyard, sure enough, masanori and kiyomasa were playing a game with several other kids. two of them, takatora and keimatsu, were family friends, but the rest were strange children.</p><p>and, by the rock ledge that separated the backyard and hideyoshi's small garden, were the squished yellow and purple flowers he had been caring for.</p><p>"what do they say to you?" nene asked, watching the kids with apprehension.</p><p>mitsunari thought. "takatora and keimatsu are nice, but the other kids laugh and yell 'sakichi's a crybaby! sakichi's a crybaby! and if he tells his mommy then he's a little snitch!' mom, what's a snitch? is it bad?"</p><p>nene ignored the last part as she threw open the window and yelled down to the kids in the backyard, "ICHIMATSU! YASHAMARU! BRING YOUR FRIENDS INSIDE, <strong><em>NOW</em></strong>!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>indeed 1 am inspo strikes<br/>this little fic ended wEAKLY but whatever</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. takakage and hanbei — here is the place where i love you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>take this as romantically or platonically as you like, the title leans towards the former but my reason for the title isssss</p>
<p>..that this is kind of a hunger games au whee where hanbei is katniss from district 12 volunteering in place of kanbei and takakage is rue from district 11 yeehaw</p>
<p>i know my notes are always loaded :') i have lots to say</p>
<p>tl;dr NICHE HUNGER GAMES SHIT</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"hanbei..."</p>
<p>"it's okay, i'm here."</p>
<p>takakage gripped hanbei's hand like a lifeline. fitting, considering he was practically on his deathbed, lying in the dirt. </p>
<p>it wasn't fair. takakage was young, younger than hanbei (however young hanbei <em>looked</em>), and he was forced to participate in this horrible bloodbath. he had a father, a father he loved very much, and two older brothers who he loved the same. <em>what would it be like for them?</em> hanbei wondered, <em>to have a brother they love die like this, with a spear in his chest, lying on the dirt, not even getting a proper burial once he passed. </em></p>
<p>hanbei had seen the expressions on the faces of the families with family members who died in the games. they looked like they, too, had died, all of the life and what little joy they had instantly gone. there were sobs so loud you could hear them no matter where you went, and when it was silent the silence was so heavy that it felt like you couldn't breathe. </p>
<p>"promise you'll win? for both of us?" takakage asked, his voice anxious.</p>
<p>hanbei sighed. he couldn't promise anything, and there were tributes so much more skilled than he was. </p>
<p>and yet takakage looked so afraid that he couldn't say no. </p>
<p>"i promise i'll win for both of us," he whispered. </p>
<p>takakage smiled a small smile. then he asked, "will you sing for me?" </p>
<p>hanbei blinked and looked down at takakage. a stray tear fell from the blonde boy's eyes.</p>
<p>
  <em>it's his last wish.</em>
</p>
<p>"...sure," hanbei said, smiling too. he smoothed takakage's hair with his free hand as he searched his brain for a song he could sing for him. finally he remembered a song that was often used to sing hungry babies to sleep. it was old, but it was sweet.</p>
<p>
  <em>deep in the meadow, under the willow.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>a bed of grass, a soft green pillow.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>lay down your head, and close your eyes.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>and when they open, the sun will rise.</em>
</p>
<p>takakage's smile faded and it nearly broke hanbei's heart. </p>
<p>
  <em>here it's safe, and here it's warm.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>here the daisies guard you from every harm.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>here your dreams are sweet, and tomorrow brings them true.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>here is the place where I love you.</em>
</p>
<p>the wind rustled in the nearby trees, and hanbei swore he could hear humming, as if something wanted to sing along but didn't want to be seen or heard.</p>
<p>"pretty," takakage murmured, "isn't it?" </p>

<p></p><div class="ujudUb">
  <p>
    <em>deep in the meadow, hidden far away.<br/>a cloak of green, a moon beam ray.<br/>forget your woes, and let your troubles lay.<br/>and when again it's morning, they'll wash away.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb">
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p>
    <em>here it's safe, and here it's warm.<br/>here the daisies guard you from every harm.<br/>here your dreams are sweet, and tomorrow brings them true.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p>tears started to roll down hanbei's cheeks, and his voice shook as he sang the last line. </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p>
    <em>here is the place where i love you.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p>takakage's eyes had closed. he looked so peaceful, as if he were sleeping. hanbei wanted to believe that he was asleep, that he would wake up...</p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <hr/>
  <p>motonari, takamoto, and motoharu watched the large screen as takakage's cannon fired. </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p>"no..." motonari whispered. he had seen it, yet he couldn't believe it was true. <em>his</em> son, the one who always had a smile on his face and was so kind to everyone he ever met, crushed like a bug under fate's hands. </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p>he could hear people in the crowd, whispering, saying words of sympathy like "we're sorry, motonari" "takakage didn't deserve that" "you boys shouldn't have had to have your little brother leave so soon" but it went in one ear and out the other. </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p> </p>
</div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc">
  <p>takakage was gone.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>big angst and bad writing :')</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. kanbei/hanbei - snuggle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>modern auuuuu</p>
<p>this tag needs more fluff like damn</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>hanbei rolled over in bed, unable to sleep. it was much too cold, and he didn't have a suitable blanket for this kind of weather. </p>
<p>
  <em>wow, deciding to sleep in pajama shorts and a t-shirt was never a good idea from the start.</em>
</p>
<p>getting out of bed, he left his room and walked a little way down the hall to the kitchen, where kanbei was in his pajamas, typing away on his laptop. </p>
<p>"i thought you were sleeping. you have to get up early tomorrow, you know," he said. hanbei shrugged. </p>
<p>"it's too cold. i don't have a blanket that keeps me warm," he explained, leaning his head on kanbei's shoulder. "whatcha doing?" </p>
<p>kanbei let out a soft sigh. </p>
<p>"nothing that concerns you looking over my shoulder. you need to sleep." </p>
<p>hanbei pouted. kanbei loved to keep secrets to frustrate him. </p>
<p>"you're mean. i don't want to sleep in there," hanbei complained. "it's warmer in here because of the heater. there's no heater in my room." </p>
<p>he got no response from this, and guessed kanbei dismissed this matter as unimportant compared to what he was doing. sighing, he left kanbei's side and wandered over to the fridge, looking for something to eat. the cold blast of air hit him like a truck, and he quickly closed the fridge door again. </p>
<p>"i said go to sleep, hanbei," kanbei called without looking up from his laptop. </p>
<p>"and <em>i</em> said that it's too cold!" </p>
<p>"sleep on the couch."</p>
<p>"the couch is uncomfortable." </p>
<p>"sleep in my bed, i have blankets." </p>
<p>"i don't want to. your bed is scary." </p>
<p>at this kanbei actually turned around to give hanbei a confused stare. </p>
<p>"how is my bed scary, exactly?"</p>
<p>hanbei shrugged. "it's too big. you don't have any stuffed animals in there either, so it gets lonely." </p>
<p>"bring that big stuffed cat over from your room."</p>
<p>"for your information, <em>kanbei</em>," hanbei huffed, "mr. fluffy muffins belongs in my room. he matches the aesthetic." </p>
<p>kanbei rolled his eyes. "you refuse to bring over a stuffed animal because it matched the aesthetic of your room?" he asked.</p>
<p>hanbei nodded.</p>
<p>"you are so complicated, hanbei, it is killing me. it is your fault i look like i've aged fifty years."</p>
<p>"yes, i sap all the life out of you so i can look young," hanbei teased.</p>
<p>"please go to <em>sleep</em>." </p>
<p>hanbei huffed and walked over to kanbei, putting his arms around him from behind. </p>
<p>"if i agree to sleep in your bed, will you come with me?" he asked. </p>
<p>kanbei looked over at him, and hanbei did the best puppy eyes he could possibly do. </p>
<p>"must i?"</p>
<p>"if you don't, i won't sleep. i'll keep bothering you." </p>
<p>there was silence as kanbei weighed his options, then finally sighed, "fine. but just tonight."</p>
<p>hanbei grinned. he skipped off towards kanbei's bedroom as kanbei turned off his laptop and followed him. </p>
<p>kanbei's room was very plain, with only a few things in it: his giant bed, a bookshelf, and a desk that he never used. unlike hanbei, he did not have a giant chair dedicated to stuffed animals, nor did he have posters on his walls. but that was fine. as long as kanbei was in the room, hanbei liked it. </p>
<p>he climbed into kanbei's bed, pulling up the blankets to his chin. they were heavy blankets, very soft and warm.</p>
<p>"kanbeiiii," he whined, reaching his hands out and making grabby hands as kanbei entered the room. </p>
<p>"in a second," kanbei replied, and he flicked off the light switch, leaving the room shrouded in darkness. hanbei heard kanbei climb into bed next to him, and he snuggled closer to him, leaning his head on kanbei's chest.</p>
<p>"you're warm," hanbei said, closing his eyes. he felt kanbei's hand running through his hair and smiled. </p>
<p>"goodnight, hanbei." </p>
<p>"mm... g'night. i love you." hanbei sleepily murmured. </p>
<p>"i love you too." </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>tender fluff :') i love these boys</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. takatora/yoshitsugu - the bird and the cat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>the two of you intertwined hands one faithful evening, as the sun said goodbye to the orange sky. </p><p>"takatora," you said, "one day this all will end, and you can be free."</p><p>takatora smiled, the genuine smile he reserved for you and only you. </p><p>"why can we not be free together?" he asked you, pulling you a little closer. </p><p>you sighed and leaned into his touch. he felt warm and he smelled of smoke and autumn leaves. </p><p>you knew he always wanted to be free from the shackles of war. you imagined him as a bird, spreading his great blue wings and soaring up, up, up into the sky. </p><p>he was the bird, flying ever higher, and you were the cat, ever grounded.</p><p>oh, you wanted to follow him into the sky, but cats can only jump so high before they have to fall again.</p><p>and yet, you would fall a hundred times, a thousand, a million, if you got to glimpse him flying as he always wanted to fly. </p><p>you looked into his eyes and you lied. </p><p>"of course we can be free together," you said. "we will be two birds, soaring together, ever higher." </p><p>"but you are a cat."</p><p>"well, then this cat shall grow wings."</p><p>takatora laughed, and he stared into the sky full of clouds. </p><p>the battle of sekigahara, the day you kneel by the tree, blade in your stomach, one thought goes through your mind.</p><p>
  <em>cats cannot grow wings. </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>takatora looks kinda like a bird to me haha</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. masamune and xiaoqiao - flower crown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i legit just watched their bond event in warriors orochi today and,,, i thought it was kinda cute! i never rlly thought much abt xiaoqiao before this lol but i'll try my best with her. masamune is hard to write as well :')</p><p>also yes i do treat her as a little girl, i literally cannot see her any other way haha<br/>she looks like one of my friends at age 6</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"masamune! masamune!" </p><p>masamune looked up and saw xiaoqiao skipping through the flower field towards him, sitting in small latch of flowerless grass. she skidded to a halt and plopped down next to him. </p><p>"masamune, why does your head look so naked?" she asked innocently. </p><p>masamune gave her a questioning look and felt around on his head. he felt nothing but his own hair. </p><p>"is it that my helmet is off?" he guessed, not truly knowing the answer.</p><p>"aha! that's it!" xiaoqiao giggled. "you need something pretty for your head when you're not wearing your big tough helmet, right? i know exactly what to do! you will be as pretty as a princess in a story!" </p><p>she reached over and plucked some flowers from the ground, and began to twist their stems together. masamune watched her, half-interested. on one hand, the comings and goings of a little girl weren't that important to him. he had things to do that were of much higher priority than watching her twist flower stems together to make something. on the other hand, xiaoqiao was slightly different. </p><p>
  <em>slightly.</em>
</p><p>of course, like many kids, she could be annoying, naïve, and immature. her voice was often a little grating, and her high amounts of energy were tiring for everyone else. she wasn't the most intelligent, either, and it was more often than not masamune groaned at her not understanding simple things. </p><p>yet, she had a certain aura that masamune found hard to explain to anyone. it was a kind of childlike innocence, not a particularly irritating one, where she just wanted to make everyone feel perfect and happy. it was like a special kind of love that was contagious. for example, xiaoqiao sometimes baked him little cakes and gave them to him before battles if she wasn't going along. often they were poorly made, and yet masamune found that he ate every bite. or one time, she dragged him along to help her pick dandelions so she could "blow all the fluffiest ones and make millions of wishes." obviously he didn't want to go, but soon after he found himself making wished on dandelions just as enthusiastically as she was. it was a strange, strange thing. </p><p>"here, i finished!" xiaoqiao said brightly, holding up a ring of brightly colored flowers. "it's a flower crown, see? now you can be just as pretty as any princess in the entire world!"</p><p>she laid the crown on his head and stared at it, her eyes sparkling with happiness. masamune felt a rush of affection for her. she was so proud, so excited, so happy about what she had made for <em>him</em>. it was really quite adorable. </p><p>"it's pretty," he told her, and xiaoqiao grinned, then threw her arms around him in a tight hug. </p><p>"you like my flower crown! i'm so happy!"</p><hr/><p>"master masamune, pardon my asking, but what is that you are wearing on your head?" kojuro asked a few hours later. </p><p>masamune had attracted quite a bit of attention when he walked over to a group of people while wearing a brightly colored crown of flowers. </p><p>"it's a flower crown, you imbecile."</p><p>"where is your helmet?"</p><p>"does it look like i care? i'll wear what i want on my head," masamune snapped. </p><p>he heard a pattering of running feet, turned, and was almost knocked over as xiaoqiao barreled into him. it took him a moment to recuperate, but when he did, he noticed 1) xiaoqiao was now holding his hands in hers and 2) everyone was staring. strangely, he did not care. perhaps it was some of xiaoqiao's childlike magic at work. </p><p>"masamune, masamune! i made a flower crown too so we can match, see?" she unnecessarily pointed at her head, where yellow, orange, and pink flowers were weaved together. "now we can be the two prettiest princesses!"</p><p>masamune ruffled the hair inside the flower crown, making her smile. </p><p>"that may be, but i'm still the prettiest princess," he joked, and xiaoqiao laughed. her laughter was sweet and yet loud at the same time, and it was full of genuine happiness.</p><p>"you are, silly! i made your crown the prettiest one! though now it's turning a little brown... maybe i will make a new one!" </p><p>"that would be lovely." </p><p>masamune avoided looking at everyone's stares as xiaoqiao dragged him by the arm to the field of flowers, giggling joyously. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>lazy ending do you see me</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. mitsunari, yukimura, and kanetsugu (bonus yoshitsugu and kunoichi) - chatroom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>haha poor characterization go brrr</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>oh man i missed doing these</p><p>maybe i'll make more</p><p>maybe i'll make a whole other fic</p><p>there are a lot of maybes</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>ysanada:</strong>hey u fuckers</p><p><strong>mitsuwu:</strong> why am i here</p><p><strong>mitsuwu:</strong> WHY IS MY NAME MITSUWU</p><p><strong>ysanada: </strong>haha bitch youre so tsundere i had to</p><p><strong>naoe:</strong> the uwus symbolize love and honor and justice!!!!!</p><p><strong>mitsuwu: </strong>they symbolize anything but </p><p><strong>ysanada:</strong> u w u </p><p><strong>mitsuwu:</strong> ugh i hate you</p><p><strong>naoe: </strong>you're lying u love us</p><p><b>naoe: </b>from deep in the recesses of your bowels</p><p><b>mitsuwu: </b>what the fuck does that even mean</p><p><b>ysanada: </b>yeah actually what does that mean</p><p><b>naoe:</b> idk i majored in love not intelligence</p><p><b>mitsuwu:</b> that's not a major</p><p><b>naoe: </b>oh shut up</p><p><b>mitsuwu: </b>haha you don't love me anymore</p><p><b>ysanada: </b>that actually sounds kinda sad mitsunari are you good</p><p><b>mitsuwu: </b>physically but not emotionally but that is to be expected</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em><b>white ghostie</b> is messaging <b>ysanada</b></em>
</p><p><b>white ghostie:</b> first of all tell takatora to change my name back to yoshitsugu please</p><p><b>white ghostie:</b> secondly why is mitsunari curled up on the couch crying</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> hes what</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> why is he crying</p><p><b>white ghostie:</b> i thought you would know</p><p><b>white ghostie:</b> well i just asked and he said "no one loves me" so what did you and kanetsugu say</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> nothing i swear</p><p><b>ysanada: </b>he was the one who said "haha you dont love me anymore" after kanetsugu playfully told him to shut up</p><p><b>white ghostie:</b> oh my god</p><p><b>white ghostie:</b> now im sitting here and i cant get up for the next few hours because he's crying into my shoulder</p><p><b>white ghostie: </b>i have an event to go to in five minutes but i can't even move</p><p><b>ysanada: </b>rip</p><p><strong><em>white ghostie </em></strong> <em>has left</em></p>
<hr/><p><b>naoe:</b> i fucked up</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> no no you didn't it's not your fault mitsunari's crying</p><p><b>naoe: </b>yes it is </p><p><b>ysanada: </b>it is n o t </p><p><b>ysanada: </b>hes just not having a good day probably</p><p><b>naoe: </b>but</p><p><b>ysanada: </b>no</p><p><b>ysanada: </b>now lets go hug him or something and get him off yoshitsugus hands</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em><b>ysanada </b>is messaging<b> lilninjagirl</b></em>
</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> i hate my life</p><p><b>lilninjagirl: </b>why?</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> kanetsugu and mitsunari just had a big fight bc i told kanetsugu to hug mitsunari bc mitsunari was sad and i told them that its not a big deal but now they both are mad at me so really this is shit</p><p><b>lilninjagirl:</b> jesus</p><p><b>lilninjagirl: </b>well itll blow over yall are bffs rite???</p><p><b>ysanada: </b>well mitsunari called me a "big stupid fuckwad who peels the cheese off his pizza before he eats it and then leaves the crust uneaten on his plate" but that's not that bad so maybe theres hope</p><p><b>lilninjagirl: </b>gasp he did NOT say that</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> he did</p><p><b>lilninjagirl: </b>damn mitsunari we fuckin stan forever 😂👊👏✌️↪️↩️🔀✨👏✌️✌️lmfao</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> kunoichi pls be serious right now</p><p><b>lilninjagirl: </b>i am serious that was a top tier roast bc you do do that </p><p><b>ysanada: </b>sigh ur impossible</p><p><b>lilninjagirl:</b> ooh hoes mad</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> dont call me a hoe</p><p><b>lilninjagirl:</b> bros mad</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> no</p><p><b>lilninjagirl:</b> toes mad</p><p><b>ysanada: </b>why do i even try</p><p><b>lilninjagirl:</b> cuz you luuuuuv me</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>ysanada</em>
  </strong>
  <em> has left.</em>
</p>
<hr/><p><b>ysanada: </b>can we pls make up? im tired of fighting</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> i know both of you read that text, do you even know how to turn off read receipts</p><p><b>mitsuwu:</b> shut up sakon's being a GOOD FRIEND and making me my favorite sandwich</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> you hate sandwiches</p><p><b>ysanada</b>: also arent you dating</p><p><b>mitsuwu:</b> nOT YET SHH DONT SAY THAT HE DOESNT KNOW FILL UP THE CHAT QUICK HE'S GONNA SEE OVER MY SHOULDERRRR</p><p><b>naoe:</b> love</p><p><b>naoe:</b> justice</p><p><b>naoe: </b>honor</p><p><b>naoe:</b> and everything nice</p><p><b>naoe:</b> the powderpuff girls</p><p><b>mitsuwu: </b>that is not what they are called you dipshit</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> haha powderpuff girls go brrr</p><p><b>mitsuwu: </b>NO</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> YES</p><p><b>naoe: </b>wait what are they called though</p><p><b>mitsuwu: </b>powerpuff girls. there is no d</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)</p><p><b>mitsuwu: </b>you stop that they are children</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> the d</p><p><b>ysanada:</b> is for</p><p><b>naoe:</b> DABBING</p><p><b>naoe:</b> the d is for dabbing on the haters</p><p><b>mitsuwu: </b>that trend died four or five years ago </p><p><b>naoe: </b>:dab: </p><p><b>mitsuwu:</b> no</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em><b>mitsuwu</b> is now messaging <b>sack on</b></em>
</p><p><b>mitsuwu: </b>fucking date me please</p><p>
  <em>message not delivered.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&gt; <span class="u">try again</span> | cancel</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. nobunaga/ranmaru - on fire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>nOBURAN NOBURAN NOBURAN :0 scream</p><p>with angst too, what a dream</p><p>a bad dream but still</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>the smoke made ranmaru's throat feel itchy and dry, and it stung his open wounds. he coughed, and the effort made him nearly double over in pain. </p><p>but no matter. no pain would be enough to quell his loyalty, his love, for lord nobunaga. </p><p>he felt the harsh heat of the flames lick at his legs as he stumbled from room to room. he had to find nobunaga. he had to make sure he succeeded. </p><p>"n-nobunaga-sama," he gasped, his voice hoarse. </p><p>"ran?" </p><p>ranmaru turned the corner, and there stood nobunaga, in the middle of the room, where the flames didn't touch. ranmaru forced a smile as he limped over to his lord, but it quickly fell, just as he did to his knees. </p><p>"it h-hurts...it hurts to b-breathe, i--" </p><p>he doubled over, coughing, feeling a searing pain in his chest that refused to go away. vaguely through the haze he felt an arm on his back, there to keep him steady. </p><p>"ran, don't exert yourself too much," he heard nobunaga say. </p><p>ranmaru shook his head and tried to stand by pushing himself up with his sword, but it was useless. he fell to the ground after standing on unsteady legs for a good two seconds. </p><p>"nobunaga-sama..."</p><p>he heard loud, hurried footsteps from somewhere nearby and knew mitsuhide must have caught up to him. he had to lead him away from here. nobunaga <em>must not die</em>. </p><p>"ran, you have to stay here. it's too dangerous to go out there like this, and you know it." </p><p>"i can do it, i c-c..." </p><p>he couldn't even finish the sentence. speaking was too hard, and his brain felt like there was a thick layer of fog enveloping it. he needed to lie down. </p><p>"nobunaga-sama, i'm t-tired. may i take a nap...?" </p><p>ranmaru looked into nobunaga's eyes and found worry looking back at him. </p><p>
  <em>would ranmaru ever wake up?</em>
</p><p>"please, nobunaga-sama..." </p><p>nobunaga just gave a short nod, and ranmaru breathed a sigh of relief. he laid his head on nobunaga's lap and he waited for dreams to take him away to a place for happiness, and when he woke up, everything would be okay. </p><p>"i love you," he murmured before drifting off. he thought he heard nobunaga say something, but he didn't know. oh well. he'd ask him when he woke up. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. kanbei/hanbei - another time, another place</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>a request! :0 from pilongski 💕💕💕</p><p>set in warriors orochi 4 since im currently playing that one lol :D but also sad face bc aNGST</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>at first, hanbei thought it was all a strange dream.</p><p>it had to be. often, when he slept very deeply, he had very strange dreams. he even had recurring dreams, and he seemed to remember bits and pieces of this new place. </p><p>however, he had never had a dream quite so vivid, or a dream with such real looking people. it wasn't like looking into a dream person's face and seeing vague indentations of what would be there. no, in this dream he could see every detail, and hear every individual voice. he heard the soft whispers, the joyous shouts, the exasperated sighs that were often followed with laughter. </p><p>after a while, he accepted that this new, strange world was real. it was harder to accept, of course, but at least it meant all of the happy things here were real and not all in his head. </p><p>"hanbei, i've been meaning to ask. did you have a lover in the world you were from? like, i have yuanji. some people think liu shan and me are a thing as well. but what about you?"</p><p>sima zhao posed the question quite suddenly one day when the two were laying about in their secret napping spot. </p><p>"you could call him that," hanbei replied, smiling. </p><p>"a <em>him</em>?" zhao repeated. </p><p>"yes. he was quite different from me, but they do say opposites attract, y'know?"</p><p>"what became of him?" </p><p>"oh, i died. so i don't know." </p><p>hanbei said this so casually and cheerfully and knew it caught zhao off guard.</p><p>"you-- you <em>died</em>? i'm so sorry, i didn't think--"</p><p>"no, you didn't think. but that's okay! i've forgotten about it myself until just a few seconds ago." </p><p>"if you don't mind me asking, who is he?"</p><p>hanbei hesitated to reply. he was now thinking about when he saw kanbei for the first time in this world. he couldn't help it! zhao had a knack for making hanbei think deeply about things.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>was it a dream, just as he thought before? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>it had to be kanbei, though. yes, that was him. he had the same scowl, clothes, hair, everything hanbei knew. yet, there was something off about him. the way he moved was a lot stiffer, and he was more withdrawn. why? when he and hanbei were together, he was (although still a huge grump) livelier, more friendly. where was the kanbei that hanbei snuggled up to on cold nights when his coughs got the better of him? the kanbei who got hanbei mochi on his birthday when no one else remembered? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>where was he?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>he tried waving to kanbei, calling out his name, cracking a joke only he would get, and yet he was entirely ignored. what was going on?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"something on your mind, hanbei?" gracia asked one night. "you look like you're really thinking hard."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"as a strategist, that is my job," hanbei joked, laughing without much humor in his voice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>gracia frowned. "not like that. you look troubled, is the thing. what's wrong? i promise i won't tell anybody! i pinky promise!" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>she stuck out her pinky as a show of dedication. hanbei looked at her finger, then at her face. finally, he hooked his pinky with hers, and she happily joined him in sitting on the grass. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"well..." hanbei briefly debated whether he really wanted to spill his guts out to a young girl. "i saw kanbei today and it felt like he was ignoring me, like he didn't even know me. and now i feel hurt because he'd never do that, ever! he didn't do that after we first met, anyway." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"well, maybe he didn't know you?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"huh? how could he not?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"well, we're all from different times, right? i mean, obviously you're here, but then so is the fan-holding green guy, zooge or whatever his name is, the not-modern version of you. but then what if everyone, even within our own universes, is from a different time? maybe?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>hanbei denied it at the time. that seemed too weird, too off. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>then he started to think.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>kanbei did act like he had before befriending hanbei: closed off, intimidating, very stiffly. could he be simply acting that way for his newfound friends on the other side? hanbei didn't think so. kanbei never cared what people thought. once he colored one half of his hair pink and went around like that because he felt like it. it wouldn't be like him to care. </em>
</p><p>
  <b><em>what if this kanbei would never love him like </em>his<em> kanbei did?</em></b>
</p><p>
  <em>"don't be silly, hanbei. of course this kanbei will love you. you just need to build the relationship you had with the old one!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>gracia, gracia. her naive nature was truly irritating sometimes.   </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"how could i do that if he's a totally different person?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"it's not like he turned straight or something, hanbei. this kanbei is just the one before you met. you can easily talk to him!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"i can't get used to talking to a kanbei i don't know when the one i DO know could be out there." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>gracia just sighed. "that one may be out there, but the one in this world is not him. that one-- he isn't in this world." </em>
</p><hr/><p>"hanbei? haaaaanbei!"</p><p>hanbei snapped out of his reverie and turned back to the now confused looking sima zhao.</p><p>"sorry, what did you say?" he asked.</p><p>"i <em>said</em>, who was the guy you were in love with? what was his name?"</p><p>hanbei forced a smile. </p><p>"it doesn't matter," hanbei said, "he isn't in this world." </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i hope i did the idea justice 😭💕 i dunno how angsty this is but it was so fun to write anyway! thanks so much for the request ily</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. mitsunari/yoshitsugu - the darkness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hell yeah modern au babieeee</p><p>⚠️ warning ⚠️  for possible oocness and bad pacing 😅 idk my eyes do be hurting</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"it seems the power went out, mitsunari," yoshitsugu said while calmly sitting on the couch, watching the pouring rain out from the windows. </p><p>"do you think i hadn't noticed? tch, are your eyes working properly?" mitsunari's voice called from a few rooms away. </p><p>"i'm in the dark, so unfortunately no." </p><p>"i thought we had a backup generator!" </p><p>"it broke last week. i sent a request for it to be fixed, but i don't know when anyone can come over to take a look at it." </p><p>"<em>seriously</em>?!" </p><p>the power going out usually wasn't a common occurrence, but the region they lived in had been plagued by a storm lately that had knocked down some telephone lines and cut the power of many houses, including yoshitsugu's and mitsunari's. mitsunari had been confident it wouldn't because of their backup generator, but that was because yoshitsugu hadn't told him about their predicament. </p><p>mitsunari's hurried footsteps made yoshitsugu turn, and in the dark he could see mitsunari's figure running towards him. he clambered onto the couch and sat a little ways away from yoshitsugu (given by how he could feel the weight of the couch sag on one end). </p><p>"in a rush, are we?" yoshitsugu asked mildly. </p><p>"shut <em>up</em>." mitsunari's voice was oddly low, in a way that suggested stress. "shut <em>up</em>, shut <em>up</em>, shut <em>up."</em></p><p>"i thought you liked to hear me talk. you seemed quite fond of it last night, when i--"</p><p>"yoshitsugu, shut the <em>fuck</em> up," mitsunari interrupted, his voice sounding dangerous. "i don't want to talk right now."</p><p>mitsunari's breathing and speech sounded quick and (dare he say it) a little frightened. but mitsunari had insisted that, when yoshitsugu had asked him a few days ago, that he was <em>not</em> afraid of the dark, and that such a thing was a childish fear. </p><p><em>mitsunari, mitsunari, </em>yoshitsugu thought with a sigh. <em>it's okay to admit to your fear, you know. </em></p><p>a clap of thunder startled them both, mitsunari to a larger extent. he seemed to full on jump and inhaled sharply. then a streak of lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the room for a moment, and yoshitsugu got a glimpse of mitsunari's face. he looked pale and sweaty and he had been chewing on the end of his hair. </p><p>"mitsunari..."</p><p>"don't."</p><p>"mitsunari, are you afraid of the dark?"</p><p>there was a noise of forced disgust. </p><p>"no, i am <em>not</em>. only children are afraid of the dark."</p><p>"it's okay to be a child sometimes, you know." </p><p>"i am <em>not</em> a child."</p><p>"oh, of course not. but mitsunari--"</p><p>"drop it, okay? it doesn't matter whether i'm scared, just stop talking!" </p><p>yoshitsugu did stop talking, but he also inched closer to where he thought mitsunari to be, felt around for a few seconds, and wrapped (hopefully) mitsunari in his arms. </p><p>"i'm not a child," he heard him mutter after taking a shuddering breath in. "i'm not afraid of the dark, i'm not afraid, i'm not." </p><p>"i know," yoshitsugu murmured back, carding his fingers through mitsunari's hair. </p><p>"you think i am." </p><p>"i know." <em>that i'm right. </em></p><p>mitsunari swallowed, then said, "you wouldn't be mad if i ever was afraid of anything, right?"</p><p>"of course not. was that what you were worrying about all this time?" yoshitsugu chuckled. "silly mitsunari."</p><p>"i-- agh, no! whatever, think what you want," mitsunari spluttered indignantly. "i was worrying about... about how i might trip over something and get hurt!" </p><p>"you look awfully anxious for someone who's only afraid of tripping over things." </p><p>"it-- it's a valid fear! shut up!" </p><p>"watch your tone, mitsun." yoshitsugu playfully used his nickname for mitsunari, which made mitsunari relax a little.</p><p>"can we stay like this tonight?" he asked begrudgingly. yoshitsugu smiled under his mask and ruffled mitsunari's hair. </p><p>"i'd stay like this for all eternity if it meant i could stay with you."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. mitsunari/sakon - chatroom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hee hee yaw a rushed-ish part two i love then</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>mitsuwu</strong>: hey sakon</p><p><strong>sack on</strong>: oh hello mitsunari</p><p><strong>sack on</strong>: how are you?</p><p><strong>mitsuwu</strong>: fine fine</p><p><strong>mitsuwu</strong>: i wanted to ask something actually so shut your fuck while i type</p><p><strong>sack on</strong>: that's a rude way of saying "wait for me while i do this thing" but it's you who's saying it so i'll let it slide</p><p><strong>sack on</strong>: because i love you</p><p><strong>mitsuwu</strong>: i</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: sakon?</p><p><b>sack on</b>: i mean, as a friend</p><p><b>sack on</b>: like platonically</p><p><b>sack on</b>: i wouldn't have romantic feelings for you haha</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: oh </p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: yeah obviously heh </p><p><b>sack on</b>: yeah</p><p><b>sack on</b>: anyway what were you gonna ask?</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: i forgot</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: it probably wasn't important</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: i mean it was but it doesn't matter</p><p><b>sack on</b>: well now you sound a little down, are you okay?</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: sakon i'm fine</p><hr/><p><b>white ghostie</b>: mitsunari</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: what's wrong</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: nothing</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: you suck at lying</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: even over text</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: i am not lying now lay off me</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: i won't tell anyone what happened</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: but everyone is concerned about you </p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: how do you know i haven't even left the apartment</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: yukimura sent kunoichi over to watch you bc you weren't answering his texts or calls and he was worried</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: i'm gonna file a restraining order he did WHAT</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: but that's beside the point</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: you can talk to me, you know. i won't judge you </p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: what if everyone else asks</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: i'll make something up</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: fine</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: so i was gonna tell sakon that i want to go on a date with him, right</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: and before i did he said "i love you" but then followed it up with "in a platonic way, i would never love you romantically" after i was like "really"</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: and now i feel like if i tell him how i feel our friendship would be ruined</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: and i don't want to lose him because he's one of the only people that wants to talk to me</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: well</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: what if he only said that because he thought you wouldn't feel the same way? </p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: and he was trying to pass it off as casual so you wouldn't be like "hey that's a bit weird cause i don't love you back"</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: you know sakon isn't one who says "i love you" much so he had to have said it for a reason</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: just call him or something and tell him and </p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: i dunno hang up and if he wants to talk he can call you back</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: you want me to CALL him and tell him how i feel??? are you out of your mind</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: if you don't i'll call him and say it</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: NO</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: then do it</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: it'll be over before you know it, you know</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: anyways i gotta go i need to pick up takatora's hand towel from the landromat</p><hr/><p>
  <em>just hit the call button, mitsunari. </em>
</p><p>mitsunari's thumb hovered over the green button. </p><p>
  <em>the sooner you do it, the sooner you'll get it over with. </em>
</p><p>he sucked in a breath, pressed the green button, and held his phone to his ear. </p><p>"mitsunari? i didn't think you were one for calls," sakon's voice said from the other side. </p><p>
  <em>just tell him, come on! </em>
</p><p>"mitsunari? are you there?"</p><p>
  <em>TELL HIM.</em>
</p><p>"did you buttdial me again? i tell you, you need to stop putting your phone in your back pocket, it--"</p><p>"sakon, listen." </p><p>mitsunari's heart pounded in his ears as he heard sakon say, "i'm listening. what's wrong?"</p><p>"nothing, it-- it's about the question i had earlier, and please don't hate me for asking, <em>please</em>." </p><p>"that's a strange thing to ask," sakon laughed, completely unaware of how much mitsunari was panicking right now. "what is it?"</p><p>"...i-- god, this is so awkward. sakon, i really... i really like you."</p><p>there was a silence before he heard "in what way?"</p><p>mitsunari laughed dryly. "in what way, sakon? do you think i'd be confessing that i like you in a <em>friendly</em> way? that's not something i'd have to call you over and you know that. you're not stupid." </p><p>"i'm glad you don't underestimate my intelligence," sakon replied. </p><p>"just... just let me finish before you change the subject, okay?" </p><p>"right, right." there was a quiet cough, then in a quieter voice, "sorry." </p><p>mitsunari didn't know what to say. now that sakon wasn't breaking the silence, he had no words coming to mind that made any coherent sense. </p><p>finally, he said, "i... i wanted to ask you on a date, but you said..." </p><p>"i know what i said." </p><p>"i didn't want to ruin what we had already by asking," mitsunari replied softly. "sakon, i can't afford to lose you. i didn't want you to go." </p><p>"i've told you many times, i'll never leave you."</p><p>"not in <em>that</em> way, though. the way i'm talking about." </p><p>"what if i meant it that way?"</p><p>mitsunari froze. he did <em>not</em> just say that, did he? he must have been imagining that. </p><p>"i didn't think you'd reciprocate, so i resigned to stay as a friend." sakon went on. </p><p>"well, we don't have to stay as just friends anymore..." mitsunari's mouth felt dry. "i mean, if you want to! i'm not even <em>that</em> interested! i mean..." </p><p>"mitsunari, mitsunari." sakon chuckled, sounding normal again. "of course i'll go on a date with you." </p><p>"h-- huh? really?" </p><p>"yes, really."</p><p>"you don't <em>have</em> to--" </p><p>"i want to." </p><p>"you want to?" mitsunari repeated.</p><p>"as long as you want to as well."</p><p>"i mean, i'd like that." </p><p>"alright, then that's settled. i suppose i'll just take you some place, then?"</p><p>"mhm."</p><p>"sounds good. i have to go now. love you." </p><p>"l-love you too." </p><p>sakon hung up, and mitsunari slowly lowered the phone from his ear, then looked down at it in disbelief. </p><p>he was actually going on a date.</p><p>with the guy he wanted to go on a date with. </p><p>that guy had just said "love you" over the phone. twice, technically. </p><p>
  <em>i really don't deserve him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> but i really don't care. </em>
</p><hr/><p><b>white ghostie</b>: so? how'd it go?</p><p><b>mitsuwu</b>: wouldn't you like to know</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: in mitsunari terms, that means it was a success</p><p><b>white ghostie</b>: congratulations, sakichi✨</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. athena and ares - sunsets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>dammit these characters make me fuckin <i>weak</i><br/>i think if they weren't my type i wouldn't like them as much otherwise but they're both cute and thus i get attracted to them and their personalities even if i didn't like them before<br/>then i spit this shit out</p><p>warning: ares is pretty ooc because guess what he does something other than make this face: &gt;:( i wanted to make him into something where there's (hopefully) kind of a reason why he acts the way he does?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"ares." </p><p>"what do you want? i'm busy." </p><p>"busy showing off your muscles to aphrodite?"</p><p>"no! shut up! she's not even here. what do you <em>want</em>?"</p><p>"remember when father said he would one day show us the sunset that the mortals saw?"</p><p>ares snorted. "we all see the same sunsets, athena." </p><p>"mortal sunsets are different," she argued. "the ones we saw in olympus were always golden, like everything else around us. yesterday, i got to see what the mortals see. they have oranges, and pinks, and blues in their sunsets. we can go and look at it together, if you want."</p><p>"i don't care." </p><p>athena sighed. trying to reason with her brother was like trying to reason with a rock, if rocks could talk and said stupid, angry things all the time. </p><hr/><p>ares snuck away from everyone at dinner to a quiet little hill framed with bushes and trees that had a perfect view of the horizon line. the sun was low in the sky, and he wanted to see if what athena said was true. </p><p>not because he thought it was pretty, no! just so he could prove her wrong when he didn't see a wink of these colors. he would be glad to see the look on her face when she realized that he knew she had lied, and--</p><p>"so, you came to watch the sunset after all." </p><p>he jumped and spun around to see athena standing there, smiling knowingly. </p><p>"<em>no</em>, i came here to prove you wrong," he said, scowling. athena frowned, and she walked closer to him and gently pressed the space between his eyebrows. "what in father's name are you doing?"</p><p>"when you scowl like <em>that</em>, it wrinkles that space and doesn't look good. you'll never get aphrodite looking like that."</p><p>"i am <em>not</em> trying to--"</p><p>"get over it, we all know she'd leave hephaestus in a second to be with you. you don't have to try so hard. now, look at the sky, and you try to prove me wrong about what i said before." </p><p>ares turned his head towards the sky, prepared to scoff at the still-golden clouds, but faltered when the words were on the tip of his tongue, because the soft clouds weren't golden at all. they were actually a pale orange color, dusted with pink, just like the rest of the orange sky. twilight blue creeped into the mess of colors as the sun dwindled ever lower in the sky. white stars winked at him from the darkest blue, and sun rays waved goodbye as they disappeared below the horizon. </p><p>
  <em>this can't be real. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>athena's making this all up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>mortals don't get to see something as pretty as this every day!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>what am i saying? this isn't even pretty! the golden sunsets of olympus are much more beautiful. they radiate praise and confidence, not like this one, that...</em>
</p><p>"are you crying?"</p><p>"huh? no!" ares swiped at his eyes with his hand, but athena just smiled at him. </p><p>"you haven't cried since we were children." </p><p>"that's because crying IS for children." </p><p>athena clucked her tongue. "ares, ares. you are always trying to prove yourself as tough, but the toughest thing to do, truly, is to admit when you don't feel that way." </p><p>"..."</p><p>"does this sunset remind you of your mom? hera? it's as beautiful as her, and that blue is similar to the blue she likes."  </p><p>ares swallowed. "maybe." </p><p>athena hummed in thought, finally saying, "she never liked you, did she?" </p><p>"she didn't. she thought i was even worse than my sisters eris and enyo, and <em>they</em> were even worse than me. i'm even helping mortals, but i guess that means i've fallen even lower than she thought i could fall." </p><p>"i see." </p><p>"i was the disappointing child, if you couldn't tell. father still thinks <em>that</em>, obviously." </p><p>"did you love her?"</p><p>"i thought..." ares let out a dry laugh that sounded suspiciously like a sob, "i thought if i loved her enough, and did good enough in everything i did, and became as handsome as father, she'd love me. i was wrong. she doesn't give two shits about me." </p><p>he looked at athena, who was by now just a blurred mass of color, and said, "you're lucky you have a parent who loves you. you're father's favorite. you're <em>everyone's</em> favorite. i'm no one's favorite." </p><p>the sun had disappeared, and so had the dusting of pink across the sky. the orange was slowly fading, replaced by the dark of blue. now, this blue was the same blue hera liked. </p><p>he could hear her voice, so clear from being ingrained into his head all this time. </p><p>
  <em>ares, you're so loud that the mortals can hear you. shut your mouth!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>ares, stop fighting with everyone you meet! you're disgracing the olympians!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>ares, if you keep this up i'll have you thrown out of olympus!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>YOU'RE A DISGRACE TO THE WORLD!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN A LITTLE BOY PLAYING WARRIOR!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>YOU DON'T DESERVE TO GET TO GO OUT AND FIGHT WITH YOUR FATHER!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>YOU DON'T DESERVE TO SIT COMFORTABLY AT THIS TABLE!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <b>YOU DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING!</b>
  </em>
</p><p>"ares!" athena rushed to his side in alarm when he actually started to cry. "ares, i... ares..."</p><p>she had never seen her younger brother cry like this before. he was sobbing, his face in his hands as he shook uncontrollably. "ares, you're alright, understand? hera can't do anything, i don't know what she did but she can't do it right now and she hopefully never will ever again." </p><p>this was not how she had wanted "watching the sunset" to go, but it didn't matter anymore. ares was really not okay. </p><p>"ares," she said, speaking softly near where he could hear, "ares, remember the breathing trick i showed you to help calm down? do you want to do that?" </p><p>it took ares a few minutes to coherently say "yes," but in the end, athena just sat and held his hands while saying "in for 4, hold for 7, and let out for 8." ares was able to calm down a little, though he still looked horribly disheveled and afraid. </p><p>"i thought i had pushed her away," she heard him murmur. "i didn't want this." </p><p>"i know, ares, i know it's hard, and i am so sorry for bringing it up."</p><p>"'s alright." </p><p>athena slowly brushed ares' dark hair out of his face as she said, "ares, don't feel like you have to prove yourself to <em>everyone</em>, alright? you're doing just fine right now." </p><p>"how am i supposed to have that mindset when someone likes me? i'm no one's favorite, that's what i said." </p><p>athena lightly pecked him on the head. </p><p>"well, you're my favorite brother."</p><p>ares smiled a little. </p><p>they stood like that until the sky was dark, and the only light was the moon and the stars. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hooey lazy ending ish</p><p>how did i manage to write angst? idk it just comes to me. i need hELP</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. masamune and xiaoqiao - my fun became your grief</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i had to write about them again for some reason my brain just said so<br/>don't @ me</p><p>badly paced angst train choo choo</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>"master masamune, i just want to ask one thing of you before you go."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"one thing? well, then let's hear it." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"i've seen that you care for my sister. i ask that you look out for her today, for i fear this battle is more dangerous than what we are used to at home." </em>
</p><p>masamune followed this request to a T every time he and xiaoqiao had been sent out in battle together. if she was heading dangerously into enemy territory, he would pull her out of it by the arm (even if she tried to tug herself free). if she was fighting too many officers at once, he took them down for her in seconds. </p><p>it was only because her sister asked him to, right? </p><p>"aw, you never let me have any fun!" xiaoqiao whined, kicking at the dirt. "i just wanna hit some bad guys like i do at home, that's all!"</p><p>"fighting too many of them is too dangerous, you..." masamune had to stop himself from saying "idiot." he knew daqiao would not approve of him calling her little sister that. "...you naïve girl! besides, these aren't like the soldiers you're used to at home." </p><p>"that sounds like something jiejie would say to me. did jiejie tell you to protect me?" xiaoqiao asked, putting her hands on her hips and staring masamune in the eyes. "if she did, tell her i don't need a big strong man to help me, and even if i did, i have lord zhou yu! i don't need you!" </p><p>"your sister knows what's best for you, so listen to her!"</p><p>"so she <em>did</em> tell you to protect me? well, you can tell <em>her</em> that she's stupid! you're stupid too, because you listen to her!" </p><p>"i'm not an idiot like you, stubbornly refusing to listen!" </p><p>xiaoqiao put her fingers in her ears. "la la la, i can't hear you and i'm not listening!" she grabbed her fan and sprinted away from masamune before he could reply.</p><p>"xiaoqiao, wait" masamune sighed. daqiao would kill him if he let anything happen to her sister, so he chased after her. he wasn't going to let them lay a finger on her as long as he had his eye on her.</p><hr/><p>then he lost her. </p><p>how had he lost track of xiaoqiao? he had just seen her bobbing ponytail a few ways away, fighting in a crowd. now he was lost in a large group of enemy soldiers that didn't look exactly cooperative enough to tell him where she had gone. </p><p>"get him!" yelled one of the soldiers, and they charged at him, spears ready to strike. masamune was able to hold them off easily(were they even really trying?) even though his mind was elsewhere. </p><p>
  <em>i need to find xiaoqiao. i need to find xiaoqiao.</em>
</p><p>"masamu!"</p><p>masamune spun on the spot to see a soldier that he had noticed before, spear pointed at him. it would have impaled him right through the stomach if not for...</p><p>"xiaoqiao, NO!" </p><p>xiaoqiao had apparently thrown herself in front of his body to stop the soldier from hurting him. the soldier saw masamune's deadly look and hurried away, leaving the small girl with a spear impaled in her chest. she would have nearly fallen, too, if not for masamune catching her. </p><p>"xiaoqiao, why would you... why? why did you do that? your sister!" </p><p>xiaoqiao grinned. "i thought if i helped protect you, i could be like you, and you'd let me have my fun!" </p><p>"yeah, but not like this!" masamune gestured wildly. "you're such an idiot, that was so stupid..." </p><p>he looked away from her, not letting her see the tears in his eye. he would not let her see him like this. he couldn't make her sad. why was he crying, anyway? it's not like he <em>cared</em>...</p><p>"aw, don't cry!" xiaoqiao sounded weak but indignant. "you need to be happy! you need to make jiejie happy, and lord zhou yu, too, okay? they'll be sad when i'm gone."</p><p>"don't say that, you won't die! xiaoqiao, you <em>will not die</em>!" masamune insisted, holding her tightly against his chest. "we're gonna get you help, it's only a spear that hurt you, and we can fix that, can't we? KOJURO!" he called for his advisor. kojuro would know what to do. he always did. </p><p>"you're still crying, silly," xiaoqiao pointed out, clumsily swiping away the tears on masamune's face. "don't be sad, masamune, it's no fun for anyone that way..." </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>kinda left it up to you whether she died or whether she survived and just fainted or something. personally i want her to live bc she is my baby and i love her and the friendship she has with masamune 🥺💗</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. nobunaga and oichi - kippōshi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>started writing this while trying to write my 3 aroki drafts hahabdbddjsh </p><p>kippōshi is nobunaga's childhood name. also apparently he is like 13 years older than oichi if my math is right? damn</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>oichi's loud voice rang out across the hills. "kippōshiiiii! wanna play with me?" </em>
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  <em>she toddled on her little legs towards him through the itchy grass, staring up at him with her big doe eyes. </em>
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  <em>"kippōshi, let's play kemari together, okay? you like kemari!"</em>
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  <em>"i do not like kemari. leave me alone."  </em>
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  <em>"awww, kippōshiiii," oichi whined, tugging on nobunaga's arm. "please? let's play kemari! i will love you forever and ever, no matter what!" </em>
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  <em>nobunaga sighed and looked at his little sister. she pouted and made her eyes look extra cute and big. this was the face that always won him over, and she definitely knew it. </em>
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  <em>"fine, i will play kemari with you. but it is a stupid game." </em>
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  <em>"yay! i love you, kippōshi! i will love you forever and ever!" oichi let go of his hand and began to run and find a ball to play with, but then stopped in her tracks. she turned and placed her hands on her hips, looking suspicious. "kippōshi, you will love me forever and ever too, right?"</em>
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  <em>"of course i will," nobunaga said. he poked her on the nose and made her laugh. "you're my little sister, how could i ever not?"</em>
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  <em>"hehe, i knew it! you're the best big brother, kippōshi!"</em>
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<hr/><p>"you killed him."</p><p>"it was necessary." nobunaga refused to look at his younger sister. </p><p>"you <em>killed</em> him!"</p><p>"oichi, i had to do it." </p><p>"you didn't! you didn't have to kill him! he never would have hurt you, never! you burned the castle down and killed him!" oichi exclaimed, her voice a little choked. "nagamasa thought of you like family, was he really not important to you?" </p><p>"killing him was necessary for me to conquer the land." </p><p>"it was not, you-- look at me!" </p><p>oichi grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around, forcing him to face her. he looked into her face and instantly regretted it. there were tear stains and ash from the castle fire on her cheeks, and her light hair was clinging to her forehead with sweat. her eyes were filled with pain and anger (and dare he say hatred, though he hoped that wasn't it. he really did). </p><p>"you didn't have to kill him. i loved him, you know that? i loved him! i love <em>you</em>! do you not love me enough that you have to cause me this pain? what did i do to you?" </p><p>"it was not you who was trying to overthrow me," nobunaga said simply. "it was nagamasa." </p><p>"he admired you! he told me all this time he admired you, your skill, your bravery, your ambition, and you <em>spat it back in his face</em>!" oichi stamped her foot. "i love both of you, but it didn't have to end this way!" </p><p>nobunaga turned away from her and started to leave the room. he didn't have time for his sister's complaints. soon she would see that it was for the better, anyway. </p><p>he heard oichi sniffle and start to cry, but he only stopped walking when oichi spoke again. </p><p>"i hate you," she choked out. "i <em>hate</em> you, kippōshi." </p><p>he looked at her again. she was rubbing away her tears and looked utterly miserable. </p><p>he wanted to say <em>i'm sorry</em>, or <em>it wasn't personal</em>. he wanted to reassure her. he wanted to hold her in his arms like he used to when they were younger, when she would come crying to him about nightmares and say <em>kippōshi, i'm scared of the monsters</em> and not fall asleep unless he was there to tell her it was okay. he wanted to just let her know <em>i love you</em>. </p><p>what did he do? </p><p>"you're not special, oichi. everyone does." </p><p>and he left the room, leaving oichi alone. </p><p>from far away, nobunaga could almost hear two children's voices as he walked down the hall. one was a little girl, the other a teenage boy. they were happy. </p><p>the little girl had a smile in her voice and said, <em>i love you, kippōshi! i will love you forever and ever! but you will love me forever and ever too, right?</em></p><p>the boy had a smile in his voice too. <em>of course i will. you're my little sister, how could i ever not?</em></p><p>but these voices faded as quickly as they had come. nobunaga wasn't focused on these voices, anyway. </p><p>he had work to do. </p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. li dian and koshōshō - little pointed ears</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>in dw8 i thought li dian's ears looked pointy and i can never get over it so</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>koshōshō liked to tease li dian. it was cute to see him flustered from the slightest remark that she made, whether it be about his hair or his clothes or even just "how cute his face was" which made him hide most of his face with his scarf for a few hours. </p><p>today, koshōshō strode over to him, intent on commenting on his lovely scarf, hoping to say, "where did you get such a thing that complimented your eyes so nicely?" until she stopped in her tracks to get a good look at him a little better. </p><p>today, he was not facing her. he was turned to the side, talking to yue jin, and he was <em>not</em> wearing his blue scarf. oddly, that didn't bother the pink haired woman.</p><p>what she took notice of were his ears.</p><p>they were not like any she had ever seen. his were pointed on top and were framed by short, thick dark curls that hung down, giving him an almost elfish appearance. if they had to be described as similar to anything, it would be to either an elf or da ji, but da ji lacked the necessary talents to be an elf.</p><p>(<em>not that li dian has many elf talents</em>, koshōshō thought to herself, <em>but he has his usually correct instincts, i suppose. must count for something</em>.)</p><p>"oh, hello koshōshō!" yue jin waved at her, surprisingly cheery. "mancheng, is she the one you talk to all the time?" </p><p>"ah, yeah," li dian replied, averting his eyes. "my lady, is this really the right t--"</p><p>"li dian, my sweet honeybun, i couldn't help but notice how cute your ears are. they're pointed like the ears of elves! now isn't that darling?" koshōshō laughed at his wide-eyed expression. </p><p>"you were looking at my <em>ears</em>?! isn't that strange to you?" </p><p>"i wasn't <em>trying</em> to," koshōshō said a little impatiently. "i don't go around looking at people's ears. i was only passing by and happened to snatch a glance. yue jin, don't you see how adorable his ears are?"</p><p>yue jin flushed red and muttered something like "he looks nice, i guess," and looked away hurriedly. koshōshō grinned. she could see clear as day that he was head over heels for li dian. li dian, however, was completely oblivious to the other's embarrassment as he wallowed in his own, accompanied by the red face and the fidgeting of the fraying ends of his scarf. </p><p>"so," koshōshō said, looking at the two of them, "have the either of you any lovely ladies to speak of?" </p><p>a tense silence met this question. </p><p>"if you were wanting to marry any, the first one that comes to mind is my student. although, i'd have to consult her father first. she <em>is</em> young, after all."</p><p>...</p><p>"well, there is no point in continuing this conversation if you two are going to sit there like logs," koshōshō sighed. "i'll see you two around, won't i? don't be afraid to say hello!" </p><hr/><p>li dian observed his reflection in a nearby river, though his mind was a little farther away. </p><p>
  <em>"...i couldn't help but notice how cute your ears are. they're pointed like the ears of elves! now isn't that darling?"</em>
</p><p>she had said his ears were cute. darling, to be exact. </p><p>that was the first time anyone, even yue jin and zhang liao, had complimented his pointed ears. </p><p>
  <em>"his ears are different, all pointy and stuff!" </em>
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  <em>"i'd beat those ears till they were flat as boards."</em>
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  <em>"he's weird looking now. he's not one of us." </em>
</p><p>that quote still hit hard, as it was from his old best friend that he thought he had gotten over. he still didn't understand why he had lost his friend just because his ears changed. it wasn't like he as a <em>person</em> changed. <strike>actually maybe something did happen that changed a lot of things but was he gonna think about that? no.</strike></p><p>"still sulking?" koshōshō's voice said from behind him. he startled, and she looked at him with narrowed eyes. "i thought you'd have seen me coming. you know, with your instincts and all."</p><p>"sorry," li dian said. "i'm just a little distracted today, i guess." </p><p>koshōshō snorted. "i can tell." she sat down next to him by the river. "what's on your mind?" </p><p>li dian must have looked hesitant, because koshōshō sighed and took his hand into her own. </p><p>"li dian, i know i tease you a lot, but i don't only do that," she said. "i'll listen if you have problems you want to talk about."</p><p>"it's not a problem, i was just thinking about my ears." </p><p>"oh?"</p><p>"yeah, they're not exactly normal, are they?" li dian laughed. "when i was younger the other kids thought it was strange. i think that was one of the reasons why they didn't like me."</p><p>"that's silly. you're perfectly likeable," koshōshō replied. "all because of your ears?"</p><p>"i mean--" he took a deep breath, "--there'salsothefactthatilikeguyssometimesandthatmightbetheotherreason." he braced himself for the questioning or accusatory remarks he usually got about it, but instead, koshōshō smiled warmly at him, a reaction he did not expect.</p><p>"aw, li dian! i never knew that about you."</p><p>"heh, most people don't." </p><p>"well, it was admirable of you to tell me, dear. you're a very brave boy." she ruffled his hair affectionately. "you remind me of my student in a way. you are both so strong, even when the situation is frightening." </p><p>"thank... you?" li dian had no idea what to say to that, but apparently koshōshō was okay with that. she stood up and patted him on the shoulder. </p><p>"i'll see you later, darling! i'll have to get going now."</p><p>"see you later, my lady." </p><p>"oh please, you don't have to be so formal," koshōshō said as she walked away. "just koshōshō is fine! unless of course, you prefer maid of misfortune." </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>yeah idk either it turned into a coming out story lol</p><p>bye</p>
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